Letter to the Editor: Motorcyclists

Thursday

Oct 24, 2013 at 4:53 PM

We motorcyclists ride responsibly and do our best to represent motorcycling in a positive light.

Pat Freeman, President, ABATE District 20

As responsible motorcyclists and concerned citizens, we are writing about the incident that occurred in New York City on Sunday, Sept. 29, involving an SUV driver and some bikers. We are troubled by the serious injuries caused by the SUV driver and by the actions of the bikers who apparently decided to take the law into their own hands. Some in the media have reported the facts but others are sensationalizing the story. We urge you to report this incident factually and objectively.

We motorcyclists ride responsibly and do our best to represent motorcycling in a positive light. We support rider education and often raise funds for charitable causes in our community. The safety of all road users, especially motorcyclists, is of the utmost concern to us and we do not support actions by any road users that violate the law.

Each year across America, motorcycle organizations host well-organized recreational events. At these events, law-abiding motorcyclists gather to enjoy camaraderie and spend their tourist dollars in host cities and surrounding communities.

An unfortunate event of this kind, reported frequently by national and local media, can create a false image of motorcyclists. Motorcycling has become an enjoyable mainstream activity and almost everyone today has a family member or friend who rides. The actions of the bikers portrayed in the video of the encounter in New York City do not represent us or the vast majority of the 27 million motorcyclists in America.